Dumbbell training can increase your total body strength and power as well as muscle size and definition. This will help you increase your metabolism, which will help you burn more calories -- particularly calories derived from fat -- when you are at rest, according to fitness professional Juan Carlos Santana, author of "Essence of Program Design." He suggests that you perform full body exercises, which involve multiple body parts moving together, instead of isolation exercises.
Squat Press or Lunge Press
The squat press involves using your lower body to generate strength to help your upper body lift a heavy weight over your head. It combines a squat and a shoulder press, although your shoulders and arms do not perform most of the work in overhead pressing. This involves hip and leg strength to produce the movement and abdominal and spine stability to maintain your body's posture and alignment as you move. You can use one or two dumbbells for this exercise. Stand with your legs about shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand near your shoulders with your elbows close to your body. As you squat down, keep your torso upright and your knees and feet pointing forward. Exhale and stand straight up, pressing the dumbbells over your head. Lower the weights to your shoulders before you repeat the exercise.
Like the squat press, the lunge press uses your lower body to generate force to help you lift the weights over your head. Because you are training the left and right sides of your body, you double the amount of time you train, which helps you burn more calories throughout your body. For example, you can do eight to 10 lunges on each leg or you can do 16 to 20 lunges by alternating legs.
Pushing and Pulling
The chest press and standing back row are two exercises that you can do to increase upper body strength. They both work all muscles in your torso, shoulders and arms. You can do the chest press by lying on a workout bench and holding a dumbbell in each hand. Bring the weights over your chest with your knuckles facing you and lower them toward your body with your elbows pointing out to your sides. When you feel a stretch in your chest, exhale and push the weights over your chest.
To do the row, stand with your legs about hip-width apart and bend your torso forward at your waist to about 30 degrees from the upright position. With a dumbbell in each hand and your hands facing each other, pull the weights toward your body near your armpits. Inhale and lower the weights until your arms are fully extended.
Circuit Training
Circuit training involves performing a series of exercises that trains different movement patterns without rest between exercises. By following this method, you will burn more calories in less time than doing each exercise individually, save your workout time and develop muscular endurance, according to Coach Robert dos Remedios, author of "Cardio Strength Training." You can perform dumbbell exercises, such as the squat press and chest press, without rest between sets. Perform each exercise for 30 seconds each and rest for no more than a minute after you have performed one circuit. Then repeat the circuit two to three more times. You may also add other types of exercises, such as medicine ball throws, kettlebell swings and bodyweight exercises, to the dumbbell exercises.
Expert Insight
The fat-burning process occurs throughout your body but never in any specific region, such as your abs or thighs. Therefore, moving any muscle repetitively, such as doing situps or leg exercises, will not reduce the size of these parts. In fact, doing so will increase the muscle mass beneath the fat layer, resulting in bigger thighs and waistline, according to sports dietitian Ellen Coleman, author of "Ultimate Sports Nutrition."
References
- "Essence of Program Design"; Juan Carlos Santana; 2004
- "Cardio Strength Training"; Robert dos Remedios; 2009
- "Ultimate Sports Nutrition"; Ellen Coleman; 2004
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